Benchmarks ยท Records
Marathon world record progression
Milestone marathon world records and world bests from Johnny Hayes in 1908 to the first sub-two-hour record in 2026, men and women.
Official page: en.wikipedia.org. Compare your own number on the compare page.
Marathon
| Benchmark | Mark | Holder | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's marathon world record by Johnny Hayes, 1908 | 2:55:18.4 | Johnny Hayes | 1908-07-24 | en.wikipedia.org |
| Men's marathon world record by Abebe Bikila, 1960 | 2:15:16.2 | Abebe Bikila | 1960-09-10 | en.wikipedia.org |
| Men's marathon world record by Abebe Bikila, 1964 | 2:12:11.2 | Abebe Bikila | 1964-10-21 | en.wikipedia.org |
| Men's marathon world record by Derek Clayton, 1967 | 2:09:36.4 | Derek Clayton | 1967-12-03 | en.wikipedia.org |
| Men's marathon world record by Steve Jones, 1984 | 2:08:05 | Steve Jones | 1984-10-21 | en.wikipedia.org |
| Men's marathon world record by Paul Tergat, 2003 | 2:04:55 | Paul Tergat | 2003-09-28 | en.wikipedia.org |
| Men's marathon world record by Haile Gebrselassie, 2007 | 2:04:26 | Haile Gebrselassie | 2007-09-30 | en.wikipedia.org |
| Men's marathon world record by Haile Gebrselassie, 2008 | 2:03:59 | Haile Gebrselassie | 2008-09-28 | en.wikipedia.org |
| Men's marathon world record by Patrick Makau, 2011 | 2:03:38 | Patrick Makau | 2011-09-25 | en.wikipedia.org |
| Men's marathon world record by Wilson Kipsang, 2013 | 2:03:23 | Wilson Kipsang | 2013-09-29 | en.wikipedia.org |
| Men's marathon world record by Dennis Kimetto, 2014 | 2:02:57 | Dennis Kimetto | 2014-09-28 | en.wikipedia.org |
| Men's marathon world record by Eliud Kipchoge, 2018 | 2:01:39 | Eliud Kipchoge | 2018-09-16 | en.wikipedia.org |
| Men's marathon world record by Eliud Kipchoge, 2022 | 2:01:09 | Eliud Kipchoge | 2022-09-25 | en.wikipedia.org |
| Men's marathon world record by Kelvin Kiptum, 2023 | 2:00:35 | Kelvin Kiptum | 2023-10-08 | en.wikipedia.org |
| Men's marathon world record by Sabastian Sawe, 2026 | 1:59:30 | Sabastian Sawe | 2026-04-26 | en.wikipedia.org |
| Women's marathon world record by Grete Waitz, 1978 | 2:32:29.8 | Grete Waitz | 1978-10-22 | en.wikipedia.org |
| Women's marathon world record by Joan Benoit, 1983 | 2:22:43 | Joan Benoit | 1983-04-18 | en.wikipedia.org |
| Women's marathon world record by Ingrid Kristiansen, 1985 | 2:21:06 | Ingrid Kristiansen | 1985-04-21 | en.wikipedia.org |
| Women's marathon world record by Paula Radcliffe, 2002 | 2:17:18 | Paula Radcliffe | 2002-10-13 | en.wikipedia.org |
| Women's marathon world record by Paula Radcliffe, 2003 | 2:15:25 | Paula Radcliffe | 2003-04-13 | en.wikipedia.org |
| Women's marathon world record by Brigid Kosgei, 2019 | 2:14:04 | Brigid Kosgei | 2019-10-13 | en.wikipedia.org |
| Women's marathon world record by Tigst Assefa, 2023 | 2:11:53 | Tigst Assefa | 2023-09-24 | en.wikipedia.org |
| Women's marathon world record by Ruth Chepng'etich, 2024 | 2:09:56 | Ruth Chepng'etich | 2024-10-13 | en.wikipedia.org |